So how do parents and students fight “summer brain drain?” We encourage students to remain productive over the summer without slogging through textbooks and study guides like you would during the school year. If that sounds too good to be true don’t worry—there’s an app for that!

Here are some great apps to keep students of all ages learning throughout their summer break.

WWF Together (Free)

WWF Together is an Apple Design Award-winning app that allows users to experience beautiful, endangered animals from their iPads. The app is composed of interactive stories, animal origami, a 3-D interactive globe, and conservation news.

Math Ninja (Free)

This fun game requires students to defend their tree house by quickly solving simple math problems. The higher the levels, the more challenging the math problems!

Elevate – Brain Training (Free)

Beautifully designed and scientifically based, Elevate is the hot new brain training app giving users daily challenges to exercise their brains. Not only will students enjoy the challenges, they’ll improve comprehension skills.

Duolingo (Free)

Have you ever vowed to learn another language before getting so discouraged by basic grammar rules that you gave up on your dream? Duolingo is the super user-friendly answer to all of your wannabe-polyglot dilemmas. Offering courses in Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Portuguese (with many other languages still in development!), Duolingo’s cutesy graphics and videogame utility are scientifically proven to get you to language proficiency faster than a college classroom.

Art Authority ($4.99)

Art Authority is an amazing app that allows users to view thousands of world-class paintings and sculptures. The app features high-resolution image rendering and descriptive captions. No doubt about it, this is the ultimate app for art history enthusiasts—its services have even been employed by the art history department of Seton Hill University!

TED (Free)

TED Talks are fabulous—if you’re unfamiliar with them, just know that they’re brief talks led by the world’s best and brightest education leaders, doctor, businesspeople, musicians, and more. The TED app not only gives users access to thousands of TED Talks, it also lets users create playlists that can be shared with friends and family. Spread the knowledge!

Cell and Cell Structure ($2.99)

Science enthusiasts will be happy to download the Cell ad Cell Structure app, which takes users on a journey through the basics of cell structure with the help of beautiful 2-D and 3-D graphics. The app itself has three modes: All About Cells, Interactive Activities, and Videos. The quizzes, models, and flashcards provided by Cell and Cell Structure are so effective that Apple has listed it among other “New and Noteworthy” apps.

Khan Academy (Free)

Salman Khan’s been all over the news for years now, and his short, educational videos on everything from differential equations to American history have saved thousands of students from poor test performance. You’ve probably watched Sal’s videos on YouTube, but did you know that the Khan Academy app is the best way to access all 4,200 Sal Khan videos? The app allows users to download some classic Khan wisdom or view the videos with subtitles (so you can learn without having to plug in those headphones!)

DragonBox Algebra 12+ ($9.99)

Tired of cramming for the math section of the SAT? DragonBox is an adorably animated game app that transforms learning algebra into a fun game. Brush up on your basic algebra skills by completing puzzles developed by Jean-Baptiste Huynh, a math teacher, and Dr. Patrick Marchal, a cognitive scientist. Learn from a team who believes that “learning is not only about rules. It is about discovering what works, and what doesn’t.”

Quizzitive – A Merriam-Webster Word Game (Free)

Brush up on your vocabulary this summer with Quizzitive. Quizzitive is free and provides players with ten difficulty levels. Once you master each of the games found within the levels, you can compare your scores with those of other players. Let the competition begin!

Learning doesn’t always have to involve a classroom setting or note memorization. Sometimes, acquiring new knowledge by playing a game actually helps the brain process information more effectively. Give these apps a try this summer—they’re so fun you won’t even realize you’re learning!

Recent Posts

IvyWise College Admission Blog

Planning for College?

Receive essential college admissions info, right in your inbox.

Join our mailing list for the latest tips from our team of expert college admissions counselors, from how to prep for the college admissions process if you're just getting started, to what to do after your admissions decisions come in.

The IvyWise Difference

IvyWise empowers students to live up to their highest possible potential, both academically and personally. For over 19 years, IvyWise has been dedicated to helping students find the schools that will be a good fit for them, where they will be happy and succeed. Our team has over 150 years of combined experience and we have worked with thousands of students.